Conférences épiscopales en Afrique encouragées à développer la catéchèse familiale
Conférences épiscopales en Afrique encouragées à développer la catéchèse familiale
CANAA || Par le Père Don Bosco Onyalla, Nairobi || 01 août 2016
L'élaboration d'un "annuaire sur la catéchèse de la famille" a été l'une des 20 recommandations de l'Assemblée plénière des évêques catholiques en Afrique.
Réunis pour réfléchir sur la famille en Afrique, les dizaines de chefs d'Église qui ont représenté les différentes conférences nationales et régionales des évêques en Afrique ont discuté des défis auxquels la famille est confrontée sur le continent et recommandé des solutions pastorales.
En vue de répondre « efficacement aux grands défis auxquels la famille est confrontée », les évêques ont déclaré, « nous devons élaborer de nouvelles perspectives ou approches pastorales ; nous demandons aux Conférences épiscopales de développer un répertoire de catéchèse familiale, essentiellement biblique, qui sera évalué tous les trois ans ».
Les défis auxquels est confrontée la famille en Afrique, que les Evêques ont mis en avant leur message final : les conditions précaires et la pauvreté, l'exclusion sociale, l'impact des nouvelles technologies de l'information et de la communication sur la vie familiale, l'idéologie de genre, la famille monoparentale, les couples divorcés, la contraception, la stérilisation, l'avortement, la polygamie, la dot, les rites de veuvage, les conséquences migratoires des situations de guerre et de conflit, les crises familiales internes, la croyance en la sorcellerie et l'absence, à l'occasion de l'un des couples du fait des études et du travail.
Les évêques encouragent également les gouvernements africains à « investir massivement dans la promotion de la famille ».
"Nous les appelons à mettre en œuvre des politiques sociales qui respectent les valeurs culturelles africaines, la justice, les droits humains fondamentaux des personnes et des familles", ont déclaré les Evêques en référence aux gouvernements du continent.
Les Evêques ont réélu Mgr Gabriel Mbilingi de Lubango, Angola, Président du Symposium des Conférences épiscopales d'Afrique et de Madagascar (SECAM) pour un deuxième mandat et confirmé l'archevêque Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle d'Accra, Ghana, comme Trésorier.
Mgr Mathieu Madega Lebouakehan, évêque de Mouila, Gabon, a pris la place de Mgr Louis Portella-Mbuyu, évêque de Kinkala, Congo Brazzaville, comme premier vice-président du SECAM depuis que celui-ci a refusé de se réélire.
L'évêque Anton Sithumbele Sipuka d'Umtata, en Afrique du Sud, a remplacé l'archevêque Gabriel J. Anokye de Kumasi, au Ghana, qui veut se concentrer sur sa fonction de président de CARITAS Africa.
La réunion d'une semaine des évêques du 18 au 25 juillet avait pour thème : la famille en Afrique : hier, aujourd'hui et demain – à la lumière de l'Évangile.
Voici le texte intégral du message et des recommandations des évêques.
MESSAGE DE LA 17ème ASSEMBLÉE PLÉNIÈRE DU SYMPOSIUM DES CONFÉRENCES ÉPICOPALES D'AFRIQUE ET DE MADADGASCAR
AUX PEUPLES DE DIEU ET AUX FEMMES DE BONNE
Présentation
1. Nous, évêques catholiques du Symposium des Conférences épiscopales d'Afrique et de Madagascar (SECAM), réunis à Luanda (Angola), du 18 au 25 juillet 2016, pour notre 17ème Assemblée plénière, et ayant réfléchi sur le thème: «La famille africaine, hier, aujourd'hui et à la lumière de l'Évangile», rendons grâce à Dieu notre Père, par Jésus Christ, le Seigneur dans l'Esprit Saint pour ses bénédictions continues pour les peuples de notre cher continent. Ayant terminé notre rencontre, nous voudrions adresser ce message d'espérance et de solidarité concernant l'avenir de nos familles et communautés, à l'Eglise-Famille de Dieu en Afrique et à Madagascar ainsi qu'à tous les hommes et femmes de bonne volonté.
2. Nous sommes reconnaissants au Saint-Père, le Pape François pour les deux Synodes sur la famille, pour sa visite pastorale au Kenya, en Ouganda et en Afrique centrale, et pour sa sollicitude paternelle envers les familles africaines. Nous exprimons notre gratitude fraternelle et sincère à l'Eglise-Famille de Dieu en Angola, au Gouvernement et au peuple de ce beau pays, pays de grande hospitalité et d'une longue tradition chrétienne, pour leur accueil chaleureux et leur générosité à faire de cette Assemblée plénière un succès. Nous sommes très touchés par leur esprit de sympathie et l'importance qu'ils attachent à cet événement. Ils ont fait tout ce qu'il faut, du point de vue logistique, matériel et spirituel pour assurer le succès de l'Assemblée.
3. The memories of the visit of Holy Father Benedict XVI, in March 2009, for the Commemoration of 500 Years of Evangelisation of Angola remain vivid in the minds of our people. The holding of this 17ème L'Assemblée plénière de Luanda est l'expression de notre profonde communion avec le peuple angolais. Nous exprimons nos salutations à tous les peuples d'Afrique et nous prions pour eux, en particulier ceux qui traversent des moments difficiles, en particulier le Soudan, la Somalie, le Lesotho, le Burundi, le Nigéria, le Mali, le Cameroun, l'Afrique centrale, le Tchad, l'Égypte et la Libye. Nous nous souvenons également des souffrances des réfugiés, en particulier des femmes et des enfants qui sont le plus souvent les principales victimes de ce phénomène. Nous exhortons les factions engagées dans des conflits à œuvrer pour la paix par un dialogue inclusif et constructif.
4. We are grateful to all delegates from Episcopal Conferences of Sister Churches of Asia and Europe as well as to the representatives of various Catholic organizations for their presence here among us, which is a clear sign of their solidarity with and generosity towards the achievement of our mission.
Importance et beauté de la famille et du mariage
5. In line with the two Synods of the universal Church on Family and the Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis Amoris Laetitia, we wished to pursue our reflection on some concrete pastoral issues concerning the family in response to the Synod expectations as entrusted to us by the Synod Fathers and the Pope. We reiterate the importance of the Family which constitutes the Domestic Church and the basic foundation upon which every society is built. As Pope Francis said, « the health of any society depends on the health of its» (Homily at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, 26ème November 2015). Indeed, it is into the family that the human person is born, grows and accomplishes his/her destiny. It is in the family that he/she receives the first education and acquires the values of his/her integration and fulfilment both in the communities and the Church. The two Synods enjoin on us to protect and defend the family “in order to render to the society the services expected of the family, which is to raise men and women capable of building a social fabric of peace and harmony” (SECAM, The Future of the Family, our Mission, 74)
6. Marriage and family are intimately linked together. We reaffirm the teaching of the Church, based on the Word of God: “Man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife; both become one body” (Gen 2: 24). Marriage binds a man and a woman together. The Lord proclaims this true nature of marriage, which in the mind of God, excludes divorce (Mat 19: 3-12). In Jesus Christ, marriage acquires its true meaning. Inseparable link of love between a man and a woman, marriage is open to life and procreation, as means of renewal of the society and the Church, therefore it cannot concern persons of the same sex.
Défis pastoraux
7. Due to our love for the welfare of the family in Africa, here we are with some urgent challenges for consideration: the precarious conditions and poverty, social exclusion, impact of the new Information and communication technologies on family life, gender ideology, monoparental family, divorce-remarried couples, contraception, sterilization, abortion, polygamy, dowry, widowhood rites, migration consequences of war and conflict situations, internal family crises, belief in witchcraft and absence, at times of one of the couples due to studies and work.
8. These different challenges destabilize the life of couples and families, especially when there is no strong pastoral strategy in place. As pastors, we cannot but be committed to renewal of and to reinvigoration of our pastoral approaches for the families. We are convinced and believe that the Family cannot be subdued by the crises and situations that confront it. Therefore, in the proclamation of the Gospel of Family, we are to be the witnesses of hope.
La joie d'aimer
9. We reaffirm, with Pope Francis, the beauty of marriage. It is not a burden, but a community of love, joy and enhancement of couples and the family: ¨The beauty of this mutual, gratuitous gift, the joy which comes from a life that is born and the loving care of all family members, from toddlers to seniors are just a few of the fruits which are the response to the family unique and irreplaceable” (Amoris Laetitia, 88). We repeat that the human person is fundamentally called to love. According to the teaching of the Pope, Saint John-Paul II, “God created man in his own image and likeness” (Gen 1: 26-27) and called him to existence by love and to love (Cf. John-Paul, Familiaris Consortio, 11). It is within the family and in a more privileged manner that the vocation and the mission of family are realized.
10. We congratulate and encourage families that bear witness to the joy of loving and are faithful to their marriage. We share the pains of those who live in difficult situations and those who are profoundly wounded in love. We pray and encourage them not to be discouraged nor
La famille, "sanctuaire de vie"
11. In a holy family life, members share experience of certain aspects of peace: “Justice and love between brothers and sisters, the role of authority expressed by parents loving concern for the members who are weaker (…), mutual help in the necessities of life, readiness to accept others and, if necessary, to forgive them” (John-Paul II, Africae Munus, 43).
12. We invite all African families, the Domestic Church, to be a place of deeper human and spiritual development so as to become communities of life, prayer, love as well as agents of transformation for our societies. In this way, they can respond faithfully to their vocation to educate, reawaken and inculcate missionary consciousness among their members.
13. We exhort all the Christian associations and pastoral organizations for the family to implicate themselves more in accompanying couples before, during and after the celebration of the marriage. We encourage them strongly to help promote Christian marriage and family values, especially for the youth.
14. In the same vein, we urge all the member States of African Union to resist all pressures from governments and organizations who want to impose anti-family policies on Africa. We are grateful to governments who, in the name of moral values and our culture have dared to oppose such policies (cf. SECAM, The Future of the Family, our Mission, 146).
15. We do appreciate the efforts of public authorities in our various States for the promotion of the family. We solicit governments to promote policies that respect African cultural values, justice, fundamental rights of persons and families, including good management of the common good and to improve the life conditions of our people, especially the less favourable. We expect the governments to “pass laws and create employments to ensure the future of young people and help them realize their plan of forming a family” (Cf. SECAM, The Future of the Family, our Mission, 14).
Conclusion
16. The Future of the Family is at the heart of our Mission. The Family is and remains the sanctuary of life, of growth and enhancement of the human person. The family is a gift of the merciful love of God. It guarantees the future of our societies. We are to protect and defend it against all that could destroy its integrity.
17. African Christian families do not be afraid of making Christ the centre of your lives! Have confidence in him! Peoples of Africa, our mission to the family is a noble one! Let us commit ourselves to the cause of the family! Long live the family!
18. Holy family of Nazareth, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Sustain the commitment of families! May they overcome selfishness, division and violence! May they be communities of reconciliation, justice and peace! May they radiate the joy of loving!
Amen !
Donné à Luanda, 24ème Juillet 2016,
For the Plenary Assembly of SECAM,
+ Gabriel MBILINGI, Archbishop of Lubango,
Président du SECAM.
Recommendations
Having strong hope in the future of families a hope based on the Lord’s love, we make the following recommendations:
1. Restructuring the pastoral care of the family. In the various Episcopal conferences, there exist various types pastoral approaches in favor of family. We ask to harmonize and restructure them by providing human and material resources needed for a better accomplishment of their mission. To achieve this, it is necessary to create and support the function of family committees within SECAM as well as in different National and Regional Episcopal Conferences.
2. Ensuring better marriage preparation. Such preparation should be done in several phases: remote preparation in the family, youth movements, in the university chaplaincies; Immediate preparation in view of engagement. It must be ensured jointly by a team of family members, priests and the laity who are involved in the pastoral care of the family. We ask priests to seriously pay particular attention to the preparation of marriage
3. Accompanying couples. The celebration of marriage is not only the summit of the process but equally a vocation of accompanying couples in the Church. Hence the importance of structures that valorize sharing and mutual support among married couples as well as enhancing the pastoral role of witnesses to the marriage. It is important to pay particular attention to young couples particularly those in mixte marriages, disparity of cult and in difficult situations.
4. Educating to love. Given the contemporary context marked by selfishness, utilitarianism and hedonism, special emphasis should be on love, agape, that is self-giving and gratuitous love, characterized by sacrifice, forgiveness and reconciliation. We need to intensify our support for parents in inculcating family values that build a strong and balanced personality in their children and other family members.
5. Training of pastoral agents. Promoting pastoral structures to support couples requires training of pastoral agents. We propose that where it does not yet exist, a course on marriage and family should be introduced into the seminary curriculum to equip future priests to better fulfill their vocation as the messengers of the Gospel of Family, in the Church Family of God. We exhort Regional Episcopal conferences to establish a formation centre for pastoral care of the family.
6. Formation for families. Family life is not improvisation. Hence the importance of formation for families about human formation, which helps to know oneself and live a harmonious relationship with each other; socio-anthropological formation which also helps to understanding the cultural, social, political and economic environment; Christian formation, for the understanding of biblical, theological and moral sources of our life of faith. Parents often feel helpless as regards the mission of evangelization of families. We ask pastoral agents to offer them the necessary assistance for the realization of true school, the family.
7. Education of children. Parents are the first and principal educators of their children. The family is the first school of values which is indispensable to every society. This education requires the effective physical presence of both parents in the family. It involves affective and sexual education. We encourage parents to educate their children to know and respect their bodies.
8. Making the Youth responsible. Young people will be educated to take care of themselves; to love a job well done; to develop fully their potentialities and be self-confident. In this way they will develop in them a true missionary consciousness which will enable them to become true witnesses to the Christian faith in the face of ideologies which threaten it.
9. Promoting spiritual life in the family. The spiritual life in the family is based on the four pillars as proposed by the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2: 42-47): Assiduity in listening to God’s word, read and meditated upon in the family and in communion with the Church; regular participation of all members in the Eucharist; prayer that brings together all family members, while maintaining the link with the parish; communion, service, sharing, exchange. We need to make families places where we share together joys and pains.
10. Fighting against discrimination within families. Women, youth, children, the elderly, widows and orphans, persons with disabilities, are oftentimes victims of discrimination and even violence in both the family and society. The pastoral care of the family, with the support of the commission “Justice and Peace” must fight to eradicate such discriminations.
11. Revisit the dowry. Originally conceived as a symbol, the dot today has lost its true meaning and is becoming an obstacle to the commitment of many young people. At times, it devalues the dignity of women as a commodity. We ask the Department of “Faith, Culture and Development” of SECAM, theologians, and academic institutions and Universities to help through research studies into the cultures and mentalities of our people to reinstate the initial symbolic value of dowry.
12. Evangelization of the new ways of social communication. Today, none can ignore the new means of social communication, even if their impact is not always positive. The experts in this field should put the media at the service of pastoral and family cohesion, and to introduce children and young people to regulate their use.
13. Resist the Influence of New Religious Movements. Some religious movements continue to wreak havoc in our churches and in our families, sowing divisions and disarray. The pastoral care of the family must ensure the protection of Catholic Christians through catechetical instructions a strong spiritual life and communion that resist the sirens of these movements.
14. Disabuse our minds of belief in witchcraft. In a context of greater economic, social, health, political or emotional despair, belief in witchcraft that seems to destroy people and family cohesion. These beliefs and accusations are often based on ignorance, misinterpretation of African tradition and a fundamentalist reading of the Bible. Hence, the need for a strong human formation that takes into consideration the psychological biblical and spiritual dimensions of formation.
15. Strengthen solidarity between families. With the economic hardships associated with some major social pandemics, families have become too vulnerable economically. These problems often affect the family cohesion. The pastoral care of the family must promote operational management of available resources, and encourage active solidarity among families. The entire Christian community must be encouraged to be more attentive to this situation.
16. Reflecting on difficult matrimonial situation. A greater number of African families encounter series of challenges among which is the problem of polygamy. This challenge should invite the Church to accompany pastorally the polygamous men and to be witness of the divine mercy of God, while exhorting them to conversion. The pastoral agents should avoid all that could lead to the recognition of such marital union so as to keep intact the Christian ideal of monogamy.
17. Supporting Pro-life and Pro-Family Organizations. Several Organizations and Associations are engaged in the promotion of life and families. It is necessary to support their activities and collaborate with them.
18. A Call upon Governments. Governments invest heavily in the promotion of the family. We appeal to them to implement social policies that respect African Cultural values, justice, fundamental human rights of persons and families. We expect from them a proper management of the common good in favor of the development of families, particularly the most fragile.
19. Denounce the ambiguity of the new world (Order) ethic
About marriage and family, the new world order (or ethics) proposes some orientations which are contrary not only to the African traditions, but to the Word of God and the teaching of the Church. The Christian communities and families should therefore be very much attentive and must always be ready to defend the dignity of the family.
20. Initiate a directory on catechesis of the family. In order to address effectively the major challenges confronting the family, we need to elaborate new pastoral perspectives or approaches; we ask the Episcopal Conferences to develop a directory of family catechesis, essentially biblical catechesis, which will be assessed every three years.
